Typhoon Utor deemed as the strongest weather disturbance in the Philippines of late has battered the northern part of the country Monday leaving over 8, 000 passengers stranded. Reports say 23 fishermen are missing.

In the capital Manila and neighboring towns and provinces, classes were suspended. However, rains weren't as heavy as expected and the winds were not as strong like what provinces like Nueva Viscaya, Isabela, and Aurora experienced.

The typhoon named Labuyo (after the local chili pepper) in the Philippines gathered speed as it hit Aurora province. It traveled 22 kilometers per hour early Monday morning, reports say.

Utor is expected to leave the country by Tuesday and is expected to go to the South China Sea, says a weather forecast Monday.

The country's disaster council told the media Monday morning that government hospitals in affected areas are on alert. Emergency supplies were also provided by the Philippine Department of Social Welfare and Development in the northern part of the country.

Reports say that a major highway going to the city of Baguio was closed due to Typhoon Utor causing a landslide in the mining towns nearby. In Aurora province, the roads are no longer navigable because of fallen trees.

A report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) says, "At least 244 families have been evacuated from danger zones."

Typhoons in the Philippine archipelago are not new. The country gets around 20 typhoons each year - six to nine of which make landfall. Utor is the 12^th typhoon that entered the Philippine jurisdiction in 2013. Local weather forecasters are expecting two more typhoons to hit the island nation before the end of August 2013.

Last year, the Philippines was hit by large typhoons causing millions of pesos in damages.